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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — what's left
  6. field — a subject
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. march — the month
  10. rest — a break
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. foot — a measure
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pass — a permit
  16. branch — a division
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. saw — the tool
  24. march — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com